There are mounting fears that if Theresa May allows a ‘No Deal’ Brexit to happen on 29th March, Devon will suffer serious harm including:

shortages of imported foods, especially as Devon is near the end of many supply lines

escalating staff shortages in the NHS and social care as European nurses and care workers are deterred from coming to take up jobs

shortage of workers in the tourism and hospitality sectors – and care workers migrating to these jobs because of higher pay

thousands of tons of animal feed blocked from coming in through Plymouth

lamb exports to Europe prevented by Brexit red tape

exporting businesses unprepared for the extra bureaucracy

more business failures over the next year or so (Brexit has already been implicated in the Flybe, Barden, Ambrosia and Appledore crises).

After Devon County Council leader John Hart said in January that the council ‘hadn’t got a clue yet‘ about planning for a ‘No Deal’ Brexit, its chief executive was appointed by the Government – with barely 6 weeks to go before the UK crashed out of the EU – to coordinate local government responses in the South West. But whatever councils do at this late stage, they can only mitigate, not prevent, the likely harms.

Even if No Deal is averted, Brexit has already led to an economic slowdown and job losses, as well as discrimination against Europeans living in Devon. Exit on the terms agreed by May will be less bad than No Deal, but far worse than the bespoke membership of the EU which the UK currently has. When County Councillors consider the situation on Thursday, they have a duty to tell May to take urgent steps to prevent No Deal – and allow the public to vote on whether they want her Brexit or her remain in the EU.

After hundreds joined the protest in Exeter yesterday (Devonlive picture) on Thursday I shall be seconding Green county councillor Jacqi Hodgson’s motion that Devon declare a ‘climate emergency’ (item 20 on the agenda).

In a fantastic boost for the chances that East Devon will soon have an Independent MP, a YouGov poll which interviewed 40,000 people nationwide tips the East Devon constituency (including Exmouth, Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Ottery St Mary) as the one seat in Devon that the Tories would lose if a General Election were held now. (Alas, Seaton and Colyton are not in this constituency.)

Claire, who is my Independent colleague on the County Council, increased her vote by 8,000 in 2017. She now needs a 6.7 per cent swing to win. The results last time show that Labour and the LibDems cannot win, and that Claire is the pro-NHS, pro-Europe candidate to support in East Devon.